We’re thrilled to announce the next fellows for our Writer’s Residency in Downtown Las Vegas. We welcome our fellows Cameron Woods, Aphelandra, and Joseph Lee.
Fellows will spend a month in the vibrant heart of downtown Las Vegas, engaging with and becoming a part of the city’s thriving arts scene. The fellowship is designed to give talented writers and other creatives the space, time, and freedom to work on their longform projects, and the bibliophilic joy of living in a fully furnished apartment next to Las Vegas’ literary hub, The Writer’s Block bookstore.
Our apartment is in The Lucy, which also houses the Writer's Block. The Lucy is Beverly Rogers’ multi-use artist residency and complex, dedicated to fostering a creative community in Las Vegas.
Special thanks again to Nevada Humanities, UNLV, and private donors for helping bring these fellowships to life.
Cameron Woods - January 2023
Cameron Woods is a recent graduate of Stanford University where he majored in African and African American Studies. He has completed a various amount of the pilots, mostly centered around the stories of his family's trials and tribulations throughout the generations. He loves sci-fi and fantasy and hopes to contribute to a new aesthetic of naturalistic fantasy with his future projects. When he's not writing, Cameron loves to perform stand up and write original songs with his friends.
About his project: Cameron is writing a short film about a couple who can only meet up with each other when they are both dreaming. A fantasy/romance story about what it means to be with someone who might know you better than you know yourself.
Aphelandra - February 2023
Aphelandra is an illustrator, designer, and publishing professional based in Chicago. In 2021 she made her debut as a children's picture book artist with "Shaped By Her Hands," which garnered numerous accolades. In a starred review, Kirkus called her work "earthy and elemental," and Publishers Weekly noted her "vibrant, subtly textured" artistry. Aphelandra has designed products for a wide array of companies, such as Hallmark Cards, Penguin Random House, and Disney. She enjoys using her creative skills to tell meaningful stories and help people connect with one another.
About her project: I will be working on new pieces for my illustration portfolio and doing some sketching and rewriting for my manuscript "The Dragon Who Ate the Moon," a children's picture book.
Joseph Lee - March 2023
Joseph Lee is a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) on Martha’s Vineyard. Born and raised in Massachusetts, he now lives in Queens, New York. Joseph reports on Indigenous affairs and the environment for Grist and teaches creative writing at Mercy College. Joseph was a 2020 Margins Fellow at the Asian American Writers' Workshop. His essays and journalism have been published in The Guardian, BuzzFeed News, The Verge, Tin House, Electric Literature, Catapult, High Country News, Outside, and more.
About his project: I will be working on a nonfiction book about Martha's Vineyard, the Wampanoag tribe, and Indigenous identity.